


After the Fall

by elaine



Category: Invisible Man (TV 2000)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-11
Updated: 2011-12-11
Packaged: 2017-10-27 04:42:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/291740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elaine/pseuds/elaine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Bobby's cured of the retrovirus, there are things that he and Darien need to resolve. A tag for Flowers For Hobbes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	After the Fall

"If Tom has three times as many apples as Susan and Susan has one-fourth as many as Joe," Darien glanced at Bobby and saw that look on his face that said 'I have no idea what you're talking about, but I'm not gonna admit it', and felt his spirits lift. He never would have expected to miss that look. Still, just to be certain, he continued reading. "...who's got four, how many does Mary have if she has two more than Tom?"

"Um... Okay... Uh, Tom's got the..." Bobby frowned. "What was the chick's name? What was her name?"

"Welcome back, Bobby." The Official's voice was friendlier than Darien had ever heard it.

He closed the book and took it over to the counter, then lingered there, trying to get his emotions under control. The last couple of days had shown him a side of himself, and Bobby, that he'd never imagined. The relief of getting the old Bobby back was almost more than he could handle.

As he went back to what he'd privately nicknamed the Chair of Pain, Darien heard Bobby making one of his clumsy passes at the Keeper. Funny that the 'improved' version of Bobby Hobbes hadn't been at all interested in Claire, but then he hadn't exactly been too friendly with Darien either. The brush off he'd received from Bobby still had the power to hurt, but in the end Bobby had made his choice, and the choice had saved Darien's life. That counted for a Hell of a lot.

Darien glanced at Claire. "Well, I'd say he passes."

"Brilliantly." Claire grimaced a little and headed for the door.

Bobby wasn't going to give up so easily. He turned his head to watch as she walked away. "You look pretty good today – that's a nice dress."

"I like those boots. You see them?" Darien had a pretty good idea it was all for show, and had no problem with encouraging Bobby's little game.

When the Keeper disappeared out of the door, Bobby turned his attention back to Darien. "How you doing? You all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good." Darien shifted uncomfortably. If Bobby had made his choice, well, that went double for him; and Darien was still a little shaken to realise just how far he'd go to protect his partner. "Yeah, she was able to block the gene before it hit any of my cells or... or something." He eyed Bobby uncertainly. "How about you? Do you remember anything?"

There was a long pause. "Yeah." Bobby didn't elaborate, just lay there looking up at him.

Oh God... he should never said that about Bobby not knowing that one thing about him. What if he figured it out? Darien eyed Bobby nervously. "Really?"

"Yeah. I just... I don't understand it, you know?" The slightly fuddled look returned to Bobby's face, but this time, instead of welcoming it, it damn near broke Darien's heart. "It's like everything that I knew is just forever right on the tip of my tongue."

It was time he got out, Darien thought. Before he said too much, or Bobby guessed too much. "Yeah, well, you know... that's about where you should leave them. Why don't you get some rest, all right?"

Darien was halfway to the door when Bobby's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Hey, Fawkes. Listen, man... I just want to say, you know, uh... what... what you... you know, what you did back there..."

Oh no, not that. He couldn't bear to hear Bobby thank him for something he'd done out of purest selfishness. "I'd do it again."

"Count on the same thing here, my friend." Bobby lifted his hand and Darien took it in a fierce grip.

They stayed like that for the space of a couple of breaths and then Darien turned away without saying another word. He couldn't have spoken if he'd tried.

*

Not for the first time, Darien lifted his hand to knock on his partner's door, then let it drop again. It was one of the stupidest things he'd ever done, standing here in the hallway, trying to make his mind up whether he should just walk in. It was only half a day since he'd done exactly that. One quick knock and then he'd walked into Bobby's apartment without a second thought. Now, he hesitated.

But, after all that had happened between them in those few hours nothing seemed simple any more. His relationship with Bobby had moved far beyond the point of partnership, even friendship. How many other people would he have given up his life for? Answer: none. It made him feel awkward and protective, and – he could admit it now – afraid.

It frightened him that he could care so much about Bobby. It terrified him that Bobby might not want him to care so much. Sure, Bobby had said he'd be willing to die for Darien, but after what Darien had done, he could hardly not have said it. So that brought him back to his current situation... standing outside Bobby's door, trying to make his mind up whether or not he should knock before entering.

If he didn't knock, Bobby might be annoyed. Because things had changed, the easy friendship was no more, for him at least, and he had no idea whether Bobby realised it, or how he might feel about it if he did. If Darien knocked, he'd be admitting openly that things had changed, and Bobby might think he regretted those changes.

Darien lifted his hand again and still couldn't bring himself to knock. The issue was decided for him when a pretty young woman came out of the elevator and started down the hallway. His hand was close to the door handle. He pushed on it and the door swung open. Heart pounding, Darien slipped through the gap.

There was no sign of Bobby in the living space, which meant... "Bobby? You okay?" Darien pitched his voice low, hoping that maybe Bobby was asleep and he could slip out again just as quietly as he'd entered.

"Fawkes? That you?" Bobby's voice came from the bedroom, and Darien headed in that direction.

"Yeah. I just wanted to check on you." He came to a halt in the doorway, relieved to see that, although Bobby was indeed sitting up in bed, he was still wearing the black T-shirt he'd had on earlier in the day. "You know, make sure you're okay. You don't need anything do you?"

Bobby shook his head, but he looked pleased enough to see him, and Darien edged a few steps into the room. After an awkward pause he went right over to the bed and stood looking down at his partner.

"Hey, big guy, take a seat." Bobby put aside the book he'd been reading and patted the edge of the bed casually. "You don't want me to hurt my neck, do you?"

"The way you complain? No." Darien grinned and sat. It didn't seem like Bobby felt any different towards him than he had before, and Darien wasn't sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved. "So, you're okay? No side effects?"

"Nope. How about you?" Bobby searched his face, eyes slightly narrowed. "Is the gland behaving itself?"

"Sure." Darien held out his arm, turning it so Bobby could see the monitor. "I'm fine."

Now that the obvious conversational topics were exhausted, both men fell silent. Darien looked around the room, mainly to avoid Bobby's gaze. "Nice room."

"Yeah. Thanks."

He knew Bobby was still watching him, and it was making Darien feel more uncomfortable with every passing second. Could Bobby tell what he was thinking, or feeling? He wasn't even sure himself.

"Look, Fawkes..."

Darien flinched, surprised by the tone of Bobby's voice. It sounded unusually serious, almost hesitant. "Yeah?"

"I just wanted to say... what I said before? About nobody caring?" Bobby coughed, clearing his throat. "I knew it wasn't true, I just felt..." Bobby's eyelids flickered, then lifted to reveal sombre hazel eyes. "...felt angry. I mean, the Official doesn't think much of me, or Eberts, or the Keeper, but you... well, I know you don't feel the same way."

"I know." Darien couldn't meet his eyes, afraid of what emotions they might reveal to Bobby. "It's okay."

Once again they fell silent, and Darien would have given anything to know what Bobby was thinking. This time when Darien risked a glance at Bobby's face, it was Bobby who looked away. Darien's heart beat faster. What if Bobby had seen... whatever it was that Darien was feeling; emotions that Darien wasn't yet willing to put a name to.

"Darien..."

He looked up to see Bobby staring at him and couldn't look away again. He couldn't have spoken now to save his life. Darien swallowed nervously and resisted the urge to wet his lips with his tongue. Then he realised that he'd unconsciously leaned forward, and froze, his eyes widening. Bobby's expression didn't change at all.

Oh, God. Darien leaned closer still, unable to help himself. Bobby's eyelids flickered again, the hint of a smile touched his lips, and Darien was lost. He shuffled closer. At last Bobby stirred, tilting his head slightly and sitting up a little straighter. Their faces were only inches apart now.

Bobby shivered. "Darien..."

Darien kissed him; not much of a kiss, just a quick brush of dry lips against Bobby's. Just enough to let him know what Darien wanted. Then he waited, sick with fear, for whatever response Bobby would make.

Warm lips touched his, and Darien almost jerked backwards in shock. He didn't remember closing his eyes. But, now that he had been given permission, of a sort, he returned the kiss. First it was just lips, then Bobby's tongue eased its way into his mouth and began a sinuous dance, making love to his tongue. God, Bobby was good at this... a tiny moan escaped the seal of their lips and Bobby chuckled, sending warm, Bobby-scented air into his mouth.

It was quite a while before Darien thought to wrap his arms around Bobby's shoulders and draw their bodies together, but when he did, his only regret was that he hadn't done it sooner. Bobby felt warm and substantial against his chest, the stocky body a reassuringly solid presence in his arms.

He found it almost impossible to let go when Bobby drew back. Darien blinked, his lips moving soundlessly, still trying to kiss the lips that no longer touched his. Bobby smiled, his eyes surveying Darien's face, down his body and back up again, and Darien was uncomfortably aware of the erection pressing against the front of his pants.

But all Bobby did was glance up at his face again, then reach for him, sliding one hand from his hip up under the T-shirt to touch his bare skin. Darien bit back a moan, shrugging his jacket off without a second thought. Bobby's hand skimmed over his ribs and back, barely grazing the surface, as they kissed again.

"You want this?" Bobby's voice was low and serious, almost inaudible. He captured Darien's lower lip between his teeth briefly.

This time Darien did moan. "Bobby, you have no idea, how much I want you."

"I've got a pretty good idea how much you want it, my friend." Bobby chuckled and pressed his other hand to Darien's erection.

"No. Not it, Bobby." Darien grabbed Bobby's wrist and pulled his hand away, though it had felt so damn good resting there. "You. I want you."

The hazel eyes met his, understanding dawning in their depths. "Okay. That's good."

Bobby sounded more than a little shaken and Darien wondered if he'd pushed the boundaries of their new relationship too far. Maybe Bobby wasn't ready… The hand that was exploring beneath Darien's T-shirt brushed against a nipple then, and all Darien's thoughts disintegrated into chaos. His breath caught in his throat and he froze as the sensation ricocheted through his body. Bobby chuckled again and pulled the T-shirt up over his head before Darien's wits were capable of even recognising what was happening, let alone responding to it.

Bobby leaned into him again, kissing, stroking with both hands over and around, undoing all Darien's defences. Leaving him breathless, and shaking, and just… wanting. Darien clenched both his hands into the bed covers simply to hold himself upright while Bobby kissed and touched, piling sensation on top of sensation, and all of it coalescing into one gigantic ache in the pit of his stomach.

He sobbed, once, as Bobby's clever fingers unfastened and unzipped and freed his cock from the constriction of his clothing. The pause that followed seemed to last forever, as though the fate of the universe might hang on this one moment, instead of the life of one invisible man. Then Bobby's mouth came down over his cock and closed around it like warm, wet velvet.

Not even his death-grip on the bedding could prevent Darien from arching his back, forcing his hips upwards in a sudden thrust. But Bobby rode it out and then settled to a steady, practised rhythm. Somewhere in the back of his mind Darien registered that unexpected competence, but this was no time to consider irrelevancies such as that. Bobby was rapidly bringing him close to climax, and Darien had barely touched him.

His hands were shaking so badly that Darien was making a complete hash of removing Bobby's black T-shirt. Finally Bobby sat up with a soft curse and dragged it off over his head before tossing it aside. Immediately, he dropped back across Darien's thighs and began to lick slowly up and down the length of Darien's thick cock, suckling briefly at the cockhead before taking it into his mouth.

Darien shuddered, forcing his attention to Bobby's body before he became lost in sensation again. There was a thin scar running across the back of Bobby's right shoulder. Darien traced the line of it with his fingertip, wondering how he'd got it. Now was obviously not a good time to ask, he thought vaguely, as the flick of a tongue across his cockhead threatened to steal every ounce of rational thought from his brain. Bobby's mouth was occupied with better things than answering questions.

He'd been vaguely aware that beneath the cheap clothing, Bobby's body was probably worth looking at. But now that it was laid out across his lap like some gift from the gods, Darien realised that he'd completely underestimated his partner. The stocky torso was rippling with smooth muscle, making Bobby's every movement into pure visual poetry. Darien ran his hands over Bobby's back and sides, beneath the curve of his arm to touch the chest he couldn't see. More smooth muscle, and hair, fine and thinly scattered across his pecs; a hardened nipple that made Darien's mouth water reflexively with the thwarted instinct to suckle.

Promising himself that there'd be time for that later, Darien rested his hand lightly on Bobby's hip and examined the tented cloth of Bobby's blue shorts. It was definitely time to do something about that while his brain still had some ability to function. He slipped the button free and tugged the shorts halfway down Bobby's thighs, revealing a surprising neat patch of black pubic hair and a cock that rose dark and full, flushed even more deeply at the fleshy tip.

Darien's heart began pounding even more fiercely. He was no stranger to male arousal, but he'd never felt this combination of tenderness and lust at the sight of a hard cock before. For a moment he was tempted to topple over and repay in kind the pleasure that Bobby was lavishing on him, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep the control he needed to make it work. Instead he drew his fingers lightly over the gleaming moistness at the tip, collecting it to use as lube.

Bobby groaned around his cock as Darien's hand closed on the shaft, and his hips bucked. The vibrations it sent through Darien's cock was almost enough to undo all his efforts at control, but Darien managed to hold back. It wasn't likely to last for very long. He started a brisk pumping action, sliding his hand the whole length of Bobby's cock and down over the tightly drawn up balls. He could feel the matching tightness in his own. They were both so close.

It was almost with a sense of relief that Darien felt the warning signs. He gasped out a warning to Bobby and tensed his body, fighting not to lose all control as his body climaxed explosively. He was only dimly aware of the heat that gushed over his thighs and hand as Bobby joined him. With a soft moan, Darien released Bobby's still hard cock and toppled onto his back.

It took a few moments and several hard, deep breaths before Darien was able to move again. He could feel the weight of Bobby's head resting in his lap and when that moved, and the warm gentle suckling began again, Darien forced himself up onto his elbows.

Hazel eyes smiled up at him and Bobby released his still hard cock to speak. "Hey partner."

"Hey." He touched Bobby's cheek with his fingertips. "You want me to stay?"

He waited, trying not to look too pathetically hopeful, until Bobby smiled, slow and easy, like he had when the retrovirus had been working in him. "All you had to do was ask."

 


End file.
